Nickname:Buffalo’s team in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946 was the Bisons. In 1947 a contest
was held to rename the team, which was owned by James Breuil of the Frontier
Oil Company. The winning entry suggested Bills, reflecting on the famous western
frontiersman, Buffalo Bill Cody. Carrying the “frontier” theme further,
the winning contestant further offered that the team was being supported by Frontier
Oil and was “opening a new frontier in sports in Western New York.” When
Buffalo joined the new American Football League in 1960, the name of the city’s
earlier pro football entry was adopted.

Coach: Rex Ryan 2015-
Stadium: New Era Field 1973-

Historical Moments:

1960: The AFL franchise placed in Buffalo founded by Ralph Wilson Jr. decides to a pay
tribute to Buffalo's previous Pro-football franchise by adopting the name Bills. A previous NFL franchise had varying degress of success in the NFL's first decade, but feuds with Chicago
Bears owner George Halas led to their demise, and kept the NFL out of Western New
York. On September 11th the Bills led by Coach Buster Ramsey drop their first
ever game to the New York Titans 27-3 in the historic Polo Grounds. A week later
they would make their home debut at War Memorial Stadium by losing to the Denver
Broncos 27-21. The Bills would finally get their first win on September 23rd
in Boston over the Patriots 13-0. They would go on to finish in third place
with a 5-8-1 record.
1961: The Bills slip out of the gate losing three of their first four games all at home.
The Bills would only win two of their seven games at War Memorial Stadium. However,
on the road they played much better winning four of seven games, including
three of their last five to finish with a 6-8 record. Following the season Coach
Buster Ramsey is fired and replaced by director of player personnel Lou Saban.1962: Prior to the start of the season the Bills acquire Quarterback Jack Kemp from the
San Diego Chargers. However Kemp struggled early as the Bills lost their first
five games. However, with Running Back Cookie Gilchrist setting an AFL with 1,096
yards rushing while winning the AFL Player of the Year, the Bills would become
one of the best teams in the AFL at the end of the year losing just one of
their final nine games to finish with a 7-6-1 record. 1963: The Bills stumble out of the gate again, going winless in their first four games.
However the Bills would recover again to get in the thick of the race for first
place in the East. However, after a loss to the Patriots in Boston the Bills
fell to 5-6-1 things began to look bleak. The Bills would recover the following
week as Cookie Gilchrist rushed for 243 yards while scoring five Touchdowns in
a 45-14 blow out of the Jets in Buffalo. A week later in the season finale the
Bills would beat the Jets again to finish with a 7-6-1 record. Meanwhile the Patriots
lost their season finale, and the Bills fond themselves in a tie for first
place. However, in the Divisional Playoff at War Memorial Stadium the Bills
could not get anything going in a 26-8 loss to the Boston Patriots.1964: The Bills get off to a roaring start winning their first nine games on the way to
an 11-2 start. However, they would need a 24-14 win over the Boston Patriots in
the snow at War Memorial Stadium to win the Eastern Division with a 12-2 record.
In the AFL Championship Game the Bills would beat the San Diego Chargers 20-7
in front of a sold out standing room only crowd of 40,242 at War Memorial Stadium.
Following the season the old stadium would be expanded by 7,700 seats, for
the AFL Champion Buffalo Bills.
1965: Led by Jack Kemp, who passes for 2,368 yards the Bills would get off to another fast
start winning their first four games on the way cruising to their 2nd straight
Eastern Division Title with a 10-3-1 record. In the AFL Championship Game the
Bills would once again prove superior blanking the Chargers 23-0 in San Diego
to win their second straight AFL Championship, in the final year of dual champions
before the merger. Following the season Coach Lou Saban would resign to take
the job at University of Maryland; assistant Joe Collier would replace him
in Buffalo.
1966: The Bills would get off to a slow start posting a mediocre 3-3-1 record through the
first half of the season after a 0-2 start. However, the Bills would win five
straight games to reclaim first place, which the clinched in the season finale
with a 38-21 win over the Denver Broncos at home. Finishing with a 9-4-1 record
the Bills hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL Championship Game for the
right to go to the first AFL-NFL Championship Game. However, the Bills were never
in the game falling 31-7 before the home fans. 1967: After winning their first game of the season over the New York Jets in Buffalo the
Bills start to stumble losing the next three games. After splitting their next
four games the Bills fall continued as they dropped four in a row on the way
to finishing with a disappointing 4-10 record.1968: After losing their first two games by a combined score of 64-13 Coach Joe Collier
is fired, and replaced by Harvey Johnson the remainder of the season, after losing
their first game under Johnson to the expansion Bengals in Cincinnati. A week
later they would get their first win, by stunning the eventual Super Bowl Champion
New York Jets at War Memorial in a 37-35 shoot out. However, it would be
the only win for Buffalo all season as they finished with a terrible 1-12-1 record.
Following the season the Bills would name John Rauch their new head coach.
1969: With the first overall draft pick the Bills select Heisman Trophy Winning Running
Back O.J. Simpson. In his first season O.J. would have a solid season by collecting
1,040 All-purpose Yards while scoring five Touchdowns. However, the Bills
would still struggle finishing with a 4-10 record.
1970: The Bills get bad news from the warfront when Bob Kalsu, an offensive lineman who
showed allot of promise during his rookie season of 1968 is killed on a tour of
duty serving his country, and sense of duty he always had ingrained in him. With
the Bills constantly trailing O.J. Simpson is limited to 120 carries, even
though he scored five Touchdowns, as the Bills finished in last place with a miserable
3-10-1 record.

1971: Just as training camp was beginning Coach John Rauch decided to resign, forcing the
Bills to call upon Harvey Johnson to fill the role as interim coach again. Much
like Johnson's first run as interim coach the Bills struggled losing their
first ten games on the way to a miserable 1-13 record. Following the season Lou
Saban who coached the Bills to two AFL Championships would return, hoping the
Bills could return to glory.
1972: In their final game at War Memorial Stadium the Bills play the Detroit Lions to a
21-21 tie, while posting a 4-9-1 record, in the final year of football at the
ancient stadium. The season would end up being a break through for Running Back
O.J. Simpson who breaks the 1,000-yard barrier for the first time with a solid
1,251-yard season.1973: The Bills get the season started in a style as O.J. Simpson sets a single game rushing
record in a 31-13 win over the Patriots in New England. Two weeks later it
was the Bills defense that came up big in a 9-7 win over the New York Jets in
the first game ever at Rich Stadium before a sold out crowd of 77,425. The Bills
would continue their strong play until a 27-6 loss to the Dolphins in Miami
in Week 6. The loss would start the beginning of four losses in five games as the
Bills dropped to 5-5. The Bills would win their next three games but entered
their season finale with no shot to make the playoff despite an 8-5 record. However,
O.J. Simpson who was well on his way to winning the NFL MVP had an outside
shot at history. Playing the Jets in the snow at Shea Stadium O.J. ran for 200
yards to become the first player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a
single season. Other players would later break Simpson's record, but no one else
would rush for 2,000 yards in a 14-game season.
1974: With new uniforms featuring a charging Buffalo the Bills get off to a solid start
winning seven of their first eight games. Despite winning just four of their final
six games, the Bills manage to qualify for the playoffs a Wild Card with a
9-5 record, as O.J. Simpson overcomes injuries to rush for 1,125 yards. The Bills
season would end quickly with a 32-14 loss to the Steelers in the Divisional
Playoffs at Pittsburgh.
1975: O.J. Simpson sets a new NFL record by scoring 23 Touchdowns, while rushing for 1,817
yards, as the Bills get off to a 4-0 start. However, the Bills would only win
four games the rest of the season finishing with an unrewarding 8-6 record.
1976: After playing mediocre football through their first five games while posting a 2-3
record, Coach Lou Saban resigns. Under his replacement Jim Ringo the Bills struggle
would get worse as they lost all nine games on the way to finishing with
a terrible 2-12 record. Despite the struggles Ringo would be retained as Coach.
Despite the poor season O.J. Simpson would have another solid season rushing
for 1,503 yards.

1977: With injuries limiting O.J. Simpson to 557 yards and no Touchdowns the Bills struggles
continued as they lost their first four games extending their losing streak
to 14 games. The Bills offense would only muster 160 points on the season while
posting a miserable 3-11 record. Following the season Coach Jim Ringo is fired
and replaced by Chuck Knox. In addition an era comes to an end as O.J. is traded
to the San Francisco 49ers for draft picks as the Bills began to rebuild.
1978: The Bills begin life without O.J. Simpson by losing their first three games, on the
way to another poor 5-11 season. However, Simpson's replacement Terry Miller
would have a solid season by rushing for 1,060 yards.
1979: After a 4-6 start the Bills start to come together as a team winning three straight
games to poke above .500. However, the Bills would fall back to earth losing
their final three games to finish with a 7-9 record. Helping to lead a young hungry
defense was Jim Haslett who was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. However,
the decade would close with another two losses to the archrival Miami Dolphins.
Through out the entire decade of the 70's the Bills didn't beat the Dolphins
once losing 20 straight overall.
1980: The Bills begin the 80's by doing something they failed to do in the 70's; beat the
Miami Dolphins. The Bills got their season started with a 17-7 win, as Bills
fans rushed the field and tore down the goal posts. The win was just the start,
as the Bills won their first 5 games of the season. After splitting their next
ten games the Bills needed an 18-13 win over the 49ers in San Francisco to claim
their first Division Title in 15 years with an 11-5 record. However, the magic
would be over quickly as the Bills were zapped 20-14 by the Chargers in the
Divisional Playoffs at San Diego.1981: Led by Quarterback Joe Ferguson who passes for 3,652 yards the Bills find themselves
on the verge of another Division Title facing the Dolphins in Miami with first
place on the line in the season finale. However, the old Miami curse would
strike again as the Bills fell 16-6. Despite the loss the Bills still qualified
for a Wild Card spot with a 10-6 record. In the Wild Card Game the Bills would
out gun the Jets 31-27 in a shoot out at Shea Stadium. However, a week later the
Bills would fall short in another high scoring game to the Bengals 28-21 in
the Divisional Playoffs at Cincinnati.
1982: The Bills get off to another solid start winning their first two games, before the
season is interrupted by a two month Player's strike. When play resumed the Bills
could not get into the same grove splitting their next four games. However,
things would get worse as the Bills lost their final three games to fall out
of the playoffs with a 4-5 record. Following the season Coach Chuck Knox resigned
to take the job with Seattle Seahawks. He would later be replaced by assistant
Kay Stephenson.
1983: In the NFL draft the Bills select Quarterback Jim Kelly, but are spurned when he
decides to play in the rival USFL. Despite the draft setback the Bills get off
to another solid start, and find themselves in strong playoff position sitting
at 7-4 through 11 games. However, the Bills would fold down the stretch losing
four of their last five games to finish with an 8-8 record.
1984: The Bills never could get it going, as they started the season with a miserable 11-game
losing streak. The Bills would finally get their first win by beating the
Dallas Cowboys on November 18th at Rich Stadium. However, the struggles would
continue as the Bills went on to finish with an awful 2-14 record.

1985: After finishing with the worst record in the NFL the Bills select Defensive End Bruce
Smith with first overall draft pick. However, the Bills would stumble out
of the gate again losing their first four games before Coach Kay Stephenson is
fired, and replaced by assistant Hank Bullough. Under Bullough the Bills would
not fair much better winning just two games again while posting a 2-14 record for
the second year in a row.
1986: With the folding of the USFL the Bills are able to sign Quarterback Jim Kelly, three
years after initially drafting him. On his very first play Jim Kelly found
life in the NFL was going to be rough as he was close lined by an offside Joe Klecko
in a 28-24 loss to the New York Jets at Rich Stadium. However, Kelly would
dust himself off and would have impressive season passing for 3,593 yards. However,
the Bills struggles continued as they lost seven of their first nine games,
before Coach Hank Bullough is fired, and replaced by Marv Levy. Under Levy
the Bills on win two out of seven games to finish with another poor 4-12 record.

1987: After splitting their first two games the Bills are hurt by the NFL strikes as the
Bills replacement lose two of their three games. When the regulars returned the
Bills would show flashes of brilliance while splitting their final ten games
to finish with a 7-8 record. The season would also see the Bills defense begin
to get better with rookies as Linebacker Shane Conlon won the Defensive Rookie
of the Year, and Linebacker Cornelius Bennett is acquired in a three team deal.
1988: Rookie Running Back Thurman Thomas adds an extra dimension to the Bills offense,
as the team comes flying out of the gate winning 11 of their first 12 games, to
clinch AFC East title before Thanksgiving. In the title winning victory the Bills
beat the New York Jets 9-6 in overtimes as Bills fans tore down the goal posts
in celebration. However, clinching early would have a negative effect as the
Bills lost three of their final four games to finish with a 12-4 record, losing
Home Field Advantage. In the Divisional Playoffs the Bills defeated the Houston
Oilers 17-10 in the first playoff game in Buffalo in 23 years. However, a week
later the Bills would lose the AFC Championship to the Bengals 21-10 in Cincinnati.
1989: The Bills seemed to underachieve all year as they had a mediocre 8-7 record going
into their final game against the Jets at the Meadowlands. However, by beating
the Jets 37-0 the Bills were able to claim their second straight Division Title
with a 9-7 record. However, their season would end quickly with a 34-30 loss
to the Browns in a Divisional Playoff shoot out in Cleveland. However, lessons
would be learned form the game as the Bills found a new rhythm when they ran a
no huddle offense.
1990: Using the No Huddle Offense fulltime the Bills get off to a terrific start winning
nine of their first ten games. The Bills could strike quickly, and in bunches
this was demonstrated in back-to-back home wins early in the season. First on
September 30th the Bills scored threeTouchdowns in 77 seconds in a 29-28 win over
the Denver Broncos, then a week later they used a 24-point 4th Quarter to stun
the Los Angeles Raiders 38-24. The Bills would go on to score 428 as they won
their 3rd straight AFC East title, and home field with a 13-3 record. The Bills
defense was no pushover either as DE Bruce Smith won the Defensive Player of
the Year. In the playoffs the Bills offense continued to be unstoppable in the
Divisional Playoffs as they beat the Miami Dolphins 44-34 in the snow at Rich
Stadium. Smelling the Super Bowl the Bills would not be denied destroying the Raiders
by a score of 51-3 before a sold out frenzied crowd at Rich Stadium.
Super Bowl XXV: Playing in the Silver Anniversary Super Bowl the Bills were a heavy favorite facing
the New York Giants in Tampa. The Bills jumped out quickly taking a 12-3 lead
in the 2nd Quarter. However, the Giants would begin a long drive to cut the lead
to 12-10 just before halftime. The Bills would only see the ball for a few
second choosing to go in the locker with a two point lead. When the 2nd half began
the Giants continued to grind the clock holding the ball for nearly ten minutes
to take a 17-12 lead. The Bills would get the ball back and would march up
the field themselves retaking the lead on a Thurman Thomas 31 yard Touchdown run
on the first play of the 4th Quarter. However, the Giants would take more time
off the clock and take a 20-19 lead on a Matt Bahr Field Goal. The Bills would
have one last chance to win, as they set up for a Scott Norwood Field Goal with
ten seconds left. However, the 47-yard kick sailed wide right as the Bills
hopes ran out. The Giants had found away to stop the Bills from scoring, not letting
them have the ball as the Bills scored 19 points in 19 minutes of possession,
in the first ever Super Bowl free of turnovers.
1991: The Bills offense was even stronger as Thurman Thomas won the Offensive Player of
the Year and NFL MVP 2,038 All-Purpose Yards and 12 Touchdowns. Meanwhile, Jim
Kelly had another stellar season passing for 3,844 yards as the Bills cored 458
points and took the AFC East for the fourth straight season with a 13-3 record.
The Bills offense continued to roll in a 37-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs
in the Divisional Playoffs at Rich Stadium. In the AFC Championship at Rich
Stadium the offense seemed stuck in neutral scoring only 10 points. However, the
Bills defense showed why they too are one of the best units in the NFL as they
held the Denver Broncos scoreless until the final minutes as the Bills won a
trip to their second straight Super Bowl with a 10-7 win.
Super Bowl XXVI: Facing the Washington Redskins in Minneapolis the Bills hoped they could learn form
the failures of the previous year. However, they seemed to play worse falling
behind 24-0 early in the 3rd Quarter. The Bills would make a mini ten point run,
but Redskins would answer back to take a 37-10 lead before the Bills scored
two late Touchdowns to make the final look more respectable at 37-24 in game plagued
by turnovers.
1992: Once again the Bills offense is strong as Thurman Thomas post 2,113 All-Purpose Yards.
The Bills offense would be involved in a history making game on September
13th when the Bills beat, the 49ers 34-31 in San Francisco in the first NFL game
without a punt. The Bills would get off to another solid start winning nine
of their first 11 games as James Lofton set a career record with 13,089 receiving
yards. However, the Bills would lose the Division Title with a 27-3 loss to
the Oilers in the season finale on a Sunday Night in Houston. The loss was made
worse when Quarterback Jim Kelly suffered an ankle injury. In a Wild Card rematch
with Houston Oilers at Rich Stadium, the Bill reign as AFC Champions looked
over as they trailed at early in the 3rd Quarter 35-3 with backup Quarterback
Frank Reich. However, the Bills would not quit, despite losing Running Back Thurman
Thomas to an injury early in the game. The Bills would drive down the field
and score 35-10, then would recover and on-side kick, which led to a 37-yard
Touchdown strike to Wide Receiver Don Bebe, and suddenly the Bills were on the
way. Each possession the Bills scored a TD to slice the lead away. The Bills charge
continued as they took a 38-35 lead late in the 4th Quarter. The bewildered
Oilers would answer back with a Field Goal to force overtime. In Overtime the
Oilers won the coin toss. However, on third down and three from their own 27 Nate
Odoms picked off Oilers Quarterback Warren Moon to set the Steve Christie for
an easy 32-yard Field Goal to complete the best comeback in NFL history with
a 41-38 win. Still flying high the Bills went on to beat the Steelers 24-3 in
the Divisional Playoffs at Pittsburgh. In the AFC Championship Game they would
get another charge when Jim Kelly returned to lead the Bills to a 29-10 win over
the Dolphins to earn their third straight AFC Championship.
Super Bowl XXVII: Becoming just the second team ever to play in three straight Super Bowls the Bills
hoped they could earn their first win facing the Dallas Cowboys at Pasadena.
The Bills would jump on the board first with a two yard Thurman Thomas Touchdown
run. However, the Bills lead was gone in a flash as two turnovers led to 14 points
at the end of the 1st Quarter. Turnovers would continue to pile up for the
Bills as the Cowboys took a 28-10 halftime lead. When the second half began things
got worse the Cowboys would go on to win the games 52-17 as the Bills committed
a record 9 turnovers. However, the Bills continued to show their never say
quit attitude when Don Bebe came out of nowhere to strip Leon Lett, who recovered
another Bills fumble, of a Touchdown to prevent the Cowboys form scoring
a record 59 points.
1993: The Bills would get off to another fast start winning seven of their first eight
games, on the way to winning their fifth AFC East Title in six years with a 12-4
record, while earning Home Field Advantage. In the Divisional Playoffs the Bills
would hold off the Los Angeles Raiders by a score of 29-23 to earn their fourth
straight trip to the AFC Championship Game. Facing the Kansas City Chiefs
the Bills knocked Joe Montana out early, as they won going away 30-13 to claim
a record fourth straight AFC Championship.
Super Bowl XXVIII: The Bills became the first team ever to play in four straight Super Bowls. However,
the Bills were heavy underdogs facing the Dallas Cowboys in a rematch in Atlanta.
Through out the first half the Bills played solid football taking a 13-6
lead into halftime. However, just 55 seconds into the 3rd Quarter Thurman Thomas
is stripped of the football by James Washington who returned it 47-yards for
a game tying Touchdown. The fumble would be the turning point, as the Cowboys did
not look back winning the game 30-13 to hand the Bills their fourth straight
Super Bowl defeat.
1994-1995: On a June night in the Los Angeles suburb of Brentwood, Bills legend O.J. Simpson
went from football hero to infamous murder. On that June night Simpson's ex-wife
Nicole and male acquaintance were murdered. O.J. had a shaky alibi, as he was
late in going down for his limo to the airport. A few days later police decided
to charge him, and a slow moving car chase ensued. The chase was viewed by millions
on TV as former Bills teammate Al Cowlings drove an allegedly suicidal
O.J. home. What ensued was the most famous and expensive murder trial in American
history, as the trial dragged on for ten months it was regular feature on the
news as everyone involved got 15 minutes of fame. In the end O.J. Simpson was
found not guilty as the prosecution presented a bad case against Simpson's all-star
team of lawyers. In subsequent civil suits O.J. was found responsible, as
he lost his job as an NBC sideline reporter, and product pitchman. Although he
was found not guilty most felt he was, and he would become a social pariah.
1994: The Bills would get off to a solid winning three of their first fourgames. However,
as the season wore on injuries would begin to hamper the Bills as the strain
of four straight Super Bowl runs caught up with them. The Bills play would get
worse as the season wore on, finally the Bills would lose four of their last five
games as their reign ended with a 7-9 record, without the playoffs.
1995: With newly acquired Linebacker Bryce Paup adding an extra spark on Defense, while
winning Defensive Player of the Years the Bills get off to a fast start winning
five of their first six games. The start was good enough for the Bills t recapture
the AFC East title with a 10-6 record, however by losing three of their last
five games the Bills were forced to play in the Wild Card Round. In the Wild
Card Game the Bills dominated the Miami Dolphins 37-22 at Rich Stadium in game
that was not as close as the score indicates. However a week later with Bruce
Smith missing the game with a serve case of the flu the Bills fall to the Steelers
40-21 in Pittsburgh.
1996: With Bruce Smith becoming the second straight Bill to win Defensive Player of the
year the Bills appear to be heading for another Division title. However, after
three straight losses the Bills need to beat the Kansas City Chiefs at Rich Stadium
just to make the playoffs as a Wild Card with a 10-6 record. In the Wild
Card Game at Rich Stadium the Bills would be stunned by the second Year Jacksonville
Jaguars 30-27. Following the season Quarterback Jim Kelly would announce
his retirement after the Bills were going to release him.
1997: With Jim Kelly's replacements Todd Collins and Alex Van Pelt both struggling all
season the Bills play mediocre football all season. The Bills would fade at the
end losing their final three games to finish with a 6-10 record. Following the
season Coach Marv Levy, the winningest coach in Bills history would retire after
a distinctive 11-year tenure. Levy would be replaced by Defensive Coordinator
Wade Phillips.
1998: To improve their situation at Quarterback the Bills sign Free Agent Rob Johnson and
CFL legend and Heisman winner Doug Flutie, who was making his return to the
NFL after ten years in Canada. Johnson would get the job at the start of the year
and the Bills struggled losing their first three games. After winning their
next two under Johnson, Flutie finally got his shot and led the Bills to an impressive
comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Rich Stadium, after Johns
separated his shoulder. With Flutie now holding the starting job the Bills would
catch fire as Flutie seemed to lead the Bills to a comeback win every week as
the Bills won eight of Flutie's 11 starts to earn a Wild Card berth with a 10-6
record. However, the Bills season would end quickly with a controversial 24-17
loss to the Dolphins in Miami as a questionable Andre Reed fumble halted the
Bills comeback. Prior to the final home game Rich Stadium is renamed Ralph Wilson
Stadium in honor of their founder and owner.1999: With Doug Flutie becoming a fan icon complete with his own cereal the Bills play
solid football all season winning and sit at 10-5 with playoffs in hand, as the
Bills small Quarterback with allot of heart passes for 3,171 yards, and runs for
another 476 yards. However, inexplicably Rob Johnson is given the starting job
prior to the season finale, which the Bills won to finish with an 11-5 record.
Johnson would remain the starter when the Bills faced the Titans in Wild Card
round at Tennessee. Rob Johnson would have a little magic of his own leading
the Bills in a comeback from an 11-point deficit to take a 16-15 lead on a Doug
Christie Field Goal with 16 seconds left. However, on the ensuing kickoff the
Titans pulled a lateral play and scored a touchdown to win the game 22-16. However,
replays showed the ball may have been an illegal forward lateral. Following
the season the Bills began the rebuilding process by releasing Running Back Thurman
Thomas, Wide Receiver Andre Reed, and Defensive End Bruce Smith all of which
were vital pieces of the Super Bowl teams.
2000: The entire season is marred by the continuing Quarterback controversy between Rob
Johnson and Doug Flutie. Each would play solid football as Flutie saw plenty of
action during times in which Johnson missed games due to injury. However, the
young Bills would struggle under the lack of continuity, and would finish with
an 8-8 record. Following the season the house cleaning continued as General Manager
John Butler departed for a similar job with San Diego Chargers. Butler would
take several Bills stars including Flutie with him. Meanwhile Coach Wade Phillips
is fired and replaced by Gregg Williams as the Bills officially ended the
Championship era.2001: With Rob Johnson holding the job without any controversy the Bills get off to a terrible
start as they lose 10 of their first 11 games. During the horrid start
Johnson who never found favor with fans is injured again, as fans who supported
Flutie seemed to say I told you so to Bills management by not buying tickets.
The Bills would go on to finish the season with a terrible 3-13 record. Following
the season Rob Johnson is released as the Bill trade for All-Pro QB Drew Bledsoe.
2002: With the acquisition of Drew Bledsoe the Bills once again had a passing game that
could win games, and get the Bills into the playoffs. However the Bills defense
struggled early as they allowed at least 24 points each of their first six games
as they got off to a 3-3 start. However the Bills defense would show signs
of improvement as Cornerback Nate Clements had a career game against the Miami
Dolphins intercepting three passes, in a 23-10 win on the road. However, after
improving to 5-3 the following week the Bills offense went into a slump as the
Bills lost all three games in November to fall out of the playoff race. The Bills
would go on to finish in last place in the tough AFC Eastern Division with a
mediocre 8-8 record. However, Bledsoe would give Bills reason for optimism by
passing for 4,359 yards as the Bills top two receivers Eric Moulds and Peerless
Price each had over 1,2000 receiving yards.
2003: The Bills started the season in grand fashion with a dominating 31-0 win over the
New England Patriots, as the Bills were spurred on by the late acquisition of
Lawyer Milloy, who was eager to avenge his stunning release by the Pats at the
end of training camp. The Bills looked just as strong the following week with a
38-17 win on the road over the Jacksonville Jaguars. However the Bills road turned
bumpy in Week 3 as they were held to 118 total yards in a 17-7 loss to the
Miami Dolphins. The Bills would split their next four games before, winning twice
despite poor performances from Quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Things would go bad
to worse as they lost four straight games scoring a total 35 points along the
way, as Bledsoe continued to struggle with a low QB rating of 73.0. After two
straight wins against their Empire State rivals the Bills ended the season with
a whimper losing their final three games to finish in third place with a disappointing
6-10 record, which would cost Coach Gregg Williams his job.2004: Under new Coach Mike Mularkey the Bills got off to a rough start losing their first
four games including a heartbreaking 13-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars
in Week 1 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. After splitting the next two games the Bills
began to focus to the future at 1-5 by starting Running Back Willis McGahee who
gave the Bills an infusion of life by rushing for 100 or more yards in six of
nine games as the Bills suddenly turned their season around as the Bills won eight
of those nine including six in a row to get back in the playoff picture. However,
needing just a win at home in the final game against a Pittsburgh Steelers
with home field already clinched the Bills were mistake prone with three costly
turnovers in a gut wrenching 29-24 loss that left the Bills at 9-7 on the
outside looking in when the playoff began.
2005: With the departure of Drew Bledsoe the Bills turned the Quarterback reigns over to
J.P. Losman who was their top draft pick in 2004. Losman would have a solid first
game as the Bills defeated the Houston Texans 22-7. However, Losman would
suffer growing pains as the Bills lost their next three games. With Kelly Holcomb
replacing Losman the Bills rebounded to win their next two games and sat at
3-3 entering a game on the road against the Oakland Raiders. The game would be
a nightmare for the Bills defense as it allowed 423 total yards in a 38-17 loss.
J.P. Losman would return to the starting spot after a loss against the rival
New England Patriots and led the Bills to a 14-3 upset win over the Kansas City
Chiefs. However, it would be the last bright spot in an another dreadful season
as the Bills would win just one of their final seven games on the way an awful
5-11 season that would see a front office shake up, as 80-year old Hall of Famer
Marv Leavy was brought back to be the Bills new General Manager, while Coach
Mike Mularkey resigned after just two seasons. Mularkey would eventually be replaced
by Dick Jauron, as the Bills entered the season with an unsure future,
as longtime Owner Ralph Wilson Jr., began making rumblings of moving the team out
of Buffalo.
2006: With new Coach Dick Jauron the Bills would play a hard fought game in their season
opener on the road against the New England Patriots, but fall short losing 19-17.
A week later the Bills would not fall short as their defense smothered Daunte
Culpepper and the Miami Dolphins winning 16-6. However, coming home for their
first game in Orchard Park, the Bills defense would suffer a let down as they
were beaten by the New York Jets 28-20. The Bills would rebound to beat Minnesota
Vikings at home a week later, but a 40-7 loss to the Chicago Bears on the
road began a three game losing streak that put the Bills in a hole they would be
unable to climb out of. The Bills would try their best tough as they won three
of four only losing on the road to the Indianapolis Colts, in another good effort
by the defense, but at 17-16 even a moral victory seemed shallow. With a revenge
win against the Jets and a 21-0 shutout win over the Dolphins the Bills
would climb back to .500. However, a heart wrenching 30-29 loss to the Tennessee
Titans would end any hope of a winning season as they lost their final two games
to finish in third Place at 7-9.2007: The Buffalo Bills season got off to a devastating start as Kevin Everett who was
running down the field for the second half kickoff laid on the ground with a severe
spinal chord injury after a collision with Domenik Hixon of the Denver Broncos.
Everett lay motionless as doctors on the scene performed an experimental
procedure of freezing his spine. While teammates worried about Everett the Bills
lost the game in heartbreak fashion as Jason Elam gave the Broncos a 15-14 win
with a 42-yard field goal as time expired. While doctors initial prognosis of
Everett was not good with a forecast that he would be paralyzed for life. However,
the experimental procedure had given surgeons a chance and they were able
to repair the damage, allowing him to regain feeling in his legs. In the midst
of a 0-3 start the struggling Bills handed the quarterback reigns over to Rookie
Trent Edwards, who beat the New York Jets 17-14, as Edwards passed for 234 yards.
Edwards and the Bills played well the following week as they held a suspiring
24-13 lead over the Dallas Cowboys in the first Monday Night Game in Buffalo
in 13 years, as the Bills defense picked off Tony Romo five times returning two
for touchdowns. However, it would be more agony for the Bills as the Cowboys
scored nine points in the final 20 seconds to stun the Bills 25-24, as Nick Folk
hit game winning 53-yard field goal as time expired as the Bills were unable
to recover an On-Side Kick late in the game. The Bills would recover quickly from
the loss as they emerged from the bye week with four straight wins, as first
round pick Marshawn Lynch established the Bills running game, while J.P. Losman
returned after Edwards suffered a wrist injury. The Bills imperfections would
be exposed in Week 11 as they were hammered at home 56-10 by the unbeaten New
England Patriots. A week later they would lose again as the Jacksonville Jaguars
pulled away late for a 36-14 win. Trent Edwards would return in Week 13 as the
Bills faced the Washington Redskins who were playing with heavy hearts after
the murder of All-Pro Sean Taylor. Earlier in the season as the Bills saw Kevin
Everett fighting to walk again the Bills lost a heartbreaker now they returned
the favor as Rian Lindell nailed three field goals including a game winner 36
yards out with two seconds left to stun the Skins 17-16. After beating the lowly
Miami Dolphins 38-17 the Bills had a chance to get back in the playoff picture
as they entered a meeting with the Cleveland Browns with a record of 7-6. However
in heavy now in Cleveland the Bills offense struggled as they were shutout
8-0. Weather was the story again the following week as the Bills played their
final game of the year at home, with a surprise guest walking into the stadium.
Kevin Everett who had been going through an extensive recovery and rehab had
regained enough control over his legs to greet his teammates and walk with the
aide of braces. The sight of their inspirational teammate helped the Bills jump
out to a fast start as they led the New York Giants 14-0 after the first quarter
on a blustery day in Buffalo. However, heading into the wind in the second quarter
the Bills sputtered as the Giants assumed the lead at halftime. The Bills
would use the wind to regain the lead in the third quarter but in the end the
Giants who were about to launch into one of the great postseason playoff runs
scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for a 38-17 win. The Bills would
go on to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles in the final game of the season as
they posted a 7-9 record for the second year in a row. Following the season in
an attempt to grow their fan base beyond the borders the Bills announced they
would begin playing one game a year in Toronto's Rogers Centre.
2008: Hoping to end their eight year playoff drought the Bills got off to a fast start
slamming the Seattle Seahawks 34-10 in a season opening win, highlighted by a 63
Yd Punt Return by Roscoe Parrish, and a 19-yard Touchdown pass by punter Brian
Moorman on a fake field goal. That win was the catalyst of a 4-0 start, as the
Bills posted a perfect September. However, with the arrival of October the Bills
suddenly found themselves making the familiar mistakes, as they lost to the
Arizona Cardinals 41-17, with Quarterback Trent Edwards leaving the game with
a concussion. Following a bye week, a power failure at Ralph Wilson Jr. Stadium
had no ill effect on the Bills, as Edwards returned and led the Bills to a 23-14
win over the San Diego Chargers. However, in the following weeks the same could
not be said as the Bills suffered a four game losing streak that dropped them
from first place in the AFC East all the way down to last place. The Bills would
end their losing streak with a 54-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, on the
road. However, it would be a temporary reprieve as the Bills struggles continued
with three more losses, including a lackluster 16-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins
in their first regular season game in Toronto's Rogers Centre. Forced to play
the spoiler role at the end of the season again the Bills stunned the Denver
Broncos 30-23 in the next to last game of the season, marking their first win
in the Mile High City in 41 years. However, there would be no salvaging the season
as they lost to the New England Patriots 13-0 to finish the year 7-9 for the
third year in a row.
2009: Hoping to add some explosiveness to their offense the Bills signed star receiver
Terrell Owens. They would play well in their season opener on Monday Night Football,
but had nothing to show for it as they lost on the road to the New England
Patriots 25-24. The Bills would follow it up with a solid 33-20 win over the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their home opener. However, the Bills would lose their
next three games, including an uninspiring 6-3 loss at Ralph Wilson Stadium to
the Cleveland Browns. A week later on the road against the New York Jets it was
a different story as the Bills intercepted Mark Sanchez five times and would win
the game in overtime 16-13, as back up Ryan Fitzpatrick was forced into action
after an injury to Quarterback Trent Edwards. Fitzpatrick would get the start
a week later as the Bills won on the road again, beating the Carolina Panthers
20-9 to improve to 3-4. However, despite a third straight two interception games
from Jarius Byrd the Bills could not get back to .500 as they suffered a 31-10
setback to the Houston Texans at home, allowing 22 unanswered points in the
4th Quarter. The Bills would have another 4th nightmare following the bye week
as they allowed 24 unanswered points in a 41-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The loss dropped the Bills to 3-6, and would bring an end to the tenure of Coach
Dick Jauron who was replaced by Perry Fewell on an interim basis the remainder
of the season. In Fewell's debut the Bills used Terrell Owens to grab a 3rd Quarter
lead as he scored on a spectacular 98 yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick.
However, the Jacksonville Jaguars answered with a 3-yard touchdown pass
from David Garrard to WR Mike Sims-Walker to record an 18-15 win. The Bills would
have better luck the following week against the Miami Dolphins as they scored
24 unanswered points in the 4th Quarter with Fred Jackson scoring off a pass
and a run to hand Coach Fewell his first win 31-14. However, four days later
in their annual game in Toronto the Bills would suffer another setback losing to
the Jets 19-13. The Bills would split their final four games of the season, finishing
in last place with a record of 6-10. Following the season the Bills would
name Chan Gailey as their new head coach, while T.O. was let go after just
one season in Buffalo.
2010: The start of the Chan Gailey era did not get off to a flying start, as they dropped
their season opener at home to the Miami Dolphins 15-10, as the Bills offense
had trouble getting started. A week later the Bills struggles continued as they
were beaten 34-7 by the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field, as QB Trent Edwards
only managed 102 yards passing, with two interceptions. It would be Edwards's
last start in a Bills uniform, as Ryan Fitzpatrick was named the starter for
the Week 3 game against the New England Patriots. Fitzpatrick played well passing
for 247 yards, with two touchdowns, but the Bills would fall short losing 38-30.
The next day the Bills would release Trent Edwards. The Bills would continue
to struggle, losing to the New York Jets 38-14 to fall to 0-4. They would trade
RB Marshawn Lynch to the Seattle Seahawks for a fourth-round draft pick in
the 2011 draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 draft. After a loss to the Jacksonville
Jaguars, the Bills hit the bye week with a record of 0-5. Coming from
the bye, the Bills played much better, but continued to lose, dropping back
to back road games in overtime to the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.
In their annual game in Toronto, the Bills continued to experience frustration
with a 22-19 loss to the Chicago Bears. With Fred Jackson, rushing for 145 yards
against the Detroit Lions, the Bills would finally get their first win in Week
10, as they stopped a game tying two point attempt to hold on for a 14-12 victory
at Ralph Wilson Stadium. A week later the Bills would win again, beating the
Cincinnati Bengals on the road 49-31, as Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 316 yards,
with four TD passes. Back home against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bills appeared
to be heading for a third straight win, but Wide Receiver Stevie Johnson
dropped an easy Touchdown pass in overtime as the Steelers would win 19-16. Following
a 38-14 loss on the road to the Minnesota Vikings, the Bills would again
win two straight, beating the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins. Those would
be the last two wins of the season, as they were blown out by the Patriots and
Jets in their final two games to finish with a terrible 4-12 season.
2011: The Buffalo Bills went retro as the season began, bringing back the look they had
from 1975-1983, and ditching the dark blue uniforms, which were unpopular among
fans. The Bills would get the season started on a strong note as they hammered
the Kansas City Chiefs 41-7, with Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick starting the season
with four touchdown passes. Facing the Oakland Raiders in their home opener,
the Bills struggled early, as they trailed 21-3 at halftime. In the third quarter
they would get a jumpstart as Fred Jackson had a 43 yard touchdown run.
The Bills would charge all the way back to take a 24-21 lead in the fourth quarter.
After trading touchdowns with the Raiders, the Bills would complete the comeback
with a six yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to David Nelson with 14 seconds
left to win the game 38-35. A week later, the Bills would fall behind again,
as the New England Patriots jumped out to a 21-0 lead. The Bills would scratch
their way back into the game again, as they tied the game 24-24 early in the fourth
quarter on a one yard TD run by Fred Jackson. Just seven seconds later the
Bills would take the lead as Drayton Florence ran back an interception 27 yards
for a touchdown. The Patriots would battle back to tie the game, but with Ryan
Fitzpatrick driving his team down the field, they would end a 15 game losing
streak to the Patriots, as they won the game 34-31 on a 28 yard field goal by
Rian Lindell as time expired. Despite jumping out to a 17-3 halftime lead, the
Bills would suffer a letdown the following week as they lost their first game to
the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on a last second field goal by Mike Nugent. Returning
home, the Bills would get back on track with a 31-24 win over the Philadelphia
Eagles, as they intercepted Eagles QB Michael Vick four times, including
a 31 yard interception return by Nick Barnett for a touchdown. Against the New
York Giants in the Meadowlands, the Bills got the lead with the big play as Fred
Jackson had an 80 yard Touchdown run, while Ryan Fitzpatrick had a 60 yard Touchdown
pass to Naaman Roosevelt. However, in the end the Giants would win the
back and forth battle. Following their bye week, the Bills improved to 5-2 as they
blanked the Washington Redskins 23-0 in their annual game at the Rogers Centre
in Toronto. The good start and strong play had earned QB Ryan Fitzpatrick a
reward as he signed a signed a six year, $59 million contract extension including
a $10 million signing bonus with the Bills. However, just as it looked like
the Bills could make a run at the playoffs, they quickly fell apart, as they got
blow out in their next three games. Injuries would be a big part of the Bills
collapse as linebacker Shawne Merriman, center Eric Wood, cornerback Terrence
McGee, nose tackle Kyle Williams), and star running back Fred Jackson, were all
placed on injured reserve. At 5-5 the Bills returned to the Meadowlands looking
to save their season as they faced the New York Jets. The Bills had plenty of
chances to win the game, as Steve Johnson dropped a sure Touchdown in the endzone,
forcing the Bills to settle for a Field Goal. The Jets would go on to win
the game 28-24 as another potential touchdown slipped through Johnson's hands.
The Bills losing streak would go to hit seven games, before they finally won their
sixth game against the Denver Broncos 40-14 on Christmas Eve, as the Bills
blew the game open with two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter. A week
later as they finished the season in Foxboro the Bills jumped out to a 21-0 lead
as they looked to end the season on a high note. During the game, Steve Johnson
was benched by Coach Chan Gailey after he pulled up his jersey after scoring
a touchdown to revel a message saying Happy New Year. However, the Bills would
not be in a happy mood after the game as the Patriots scored 49 unanswered points
over the final three quarters to win the game 49-21. With the loss the Bills
finished the season with a 6-10 record, as they missed the playoffs for the
12th straight season.
2012: After their disappointing end to the 2011 season, the Bills looked to get a jumpstart
in 2012 as they faced the New York Jets to begin the season. However, things
quickly spun out of control as Ryan Fitzpatrick was picked off three times as
the Jets cruised to an easy 48-28 win at the Meadowlands. The Bills would rebound
in their home opener, thanks to C.J. Spiller who rushed for 123 yards with
two touchdowns in a 35-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Following a 24-14 road
win over the Cleveland Browns, the Bills looked to be finding a groove as they
led the New England Patriots 21-7 early in the 3rd Quarter at Ralph Wilson
Stadium. However, it was all gone in a flash as the Patriots scored 45 points in
the last two quarters, as Ryan Fitzpatrick's four touchdowns were spoiled by
four interceptions. Things would be even uglier the following week as the Bills
suffered a 45-3 loss at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. Staying out west
the Bills would find salvation in the desert as they edged the Arizona Cardinals
19-16 in overtime. However, it would be just a temporary reprieve as the Bills
suffered a heartbreaking 35-34 loss at home to the Tennessee Titans, as QB Matt
Hasselbeck connected with Nate Washington on a 15 yard Touchdown pass with
less than two minutes left. The Bills would also lose their next two games on the
road against the Houston Texans and New England Patriots. Coming home the Bills
would end an eight game losing streak against AFC East opponents as they beat
the Miami Dolphins 19-14 in a sloppy Thursday Night Game. The Bills who got
four Field Goals from Rian Lindell got a 79 yard punt return from Leodis McKelvin
to be the difference. Following a loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Bills
once again got a home win from a team from the Sunshine State, as they nearly doubled
up the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the Bills would never get any momentum
for the season as they dropped their next three games, including a humiliating
50-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in their annual game in Toronto. Doomed
to a 13th straight season without the playoffs, the Bills ended the season on
a high note by beating the Jets 28-9 as they posted a record of 6-10. The game
would also mark the end of Chan Gailey's coaching tenure, as he was replaced by
Doug Marone, who had been the coach of Syracuse. The Bills would also say good
bye to Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick as he was released following the season; just
two years into a six year, $59 million that was signed after his win over the
Patriots in 2011. Among the only bright spots was the play of Running Back C.J.
Spiller who was named to his first Pro-Bowl by rushing for 1,244 yards.
2013: The Buffalo Bills found themselves starting from scratch again as they began the
season with a new Coach in Doug Marrone who previously coached at nearby Syracuse
University, while E.J., whom the Bills selected with 16th overall pick out of
Florida State. Opening the season at Ralph Wilson Stadium against the New England
Patriots, Manuel was solid in his debut pass for 150 yards with two touchdowns
as the Bills held a 21-17 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. Helping
to build the lead was a 74 yard fumble return by Da'Norris Searcy for the Bills
first score of the season. However, the Pats would spoil the day as they won
23-17 on two Field Goals by Stephen Gostkowski. E.J. Manuel again played well in
Week 2 as the Bills hosted the Carolina Panthers. Manuel passed for 296 yards
and showed the ability to lead the Bills in the two minute drive connecting with
Steve Johnson on a two yard pass to win the game 24-23 with two seconds left.
In Manuel's first road game he would face a familiar foe in Geno Smith who was
the second quarterback chosen in the NFL draft by the New York Jets from West
Virginia. On this day Smith would get the best of Manuel, leading the Jets to
a 27-20 win. Despite completing just ten passes and throwing two interceptions,
E.J. Manuel was able to help the Bills build a 20-7 halftime lead against the
Baltimore Ravens with a 42 yard TD pass to Robert Woods. The Bills would add a
third Field Goal by Dan Carpenter in the second half as they held on to win the
game 23-20. In a Thursday Night road game against the Cleveland Browns, the Bills
were able to get off to a quick start leading 10-0 after the first quarter
with a Fred Jackson touchdown. However, Manuel would leave the game with a sprained
knee as the Browns rallied to win the game 37-24. In Week 6, Thad Lewis would
get the start after being activated from the practice squad. Struggling most
of the game, Lewis had two touchdown passes if the fourth quarter as the Bills
rallied to tie the game against the Cincinnati Bengals 24-24. However, in overtime
the Bengals would get the win 27-24 on a 43 yard by Mike Nugent. A week later
the Bills would get off to a good start as Nickell Robey picked off Ryan Tannehill
and ran it back 19 yards to get an early 7-0 lead in Miami. Fred Jackson
would later at a touchdown as the Bills built a 14-0 lead. As Thad Lewis struggled
the Dolphins would rally to take a 21-17 lead in the second half. The fourth
quarter would belong to Buffalo as Dan Carpenter nailed to Field Goals to
beat his former team and hand the Bills a 23-21 win. After Thad Lewis struggled
in a 35-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Jeff Tuel was given the start against
the Kansas City Chiefs but could do no better, with the Bills falling to 3-6
with a 23-13 loss at home. E.J. Manuel returned in Week 10, but the Bills continued
to struggle losing on the road to the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-10. In a rematch
against the Jets, Manuel had perhaps his best game of the season, passing
for 245 yards with two touchdowns as the Bills forced four turnovers in a 37-14
win at home. Following their bye week the Bills made their annual trip to Toronto
and got another solid game from E.J. Manuel who passed for 210 yards, while
C.J. Spiller rushed for 149 yards to help build a 31-24 lead over the Atlanta
Falcons. However, the Falcons would rally to tie the game and won in overtime 34-31.
A week later Manuel would deliver his worst game of the season with four
interceptions as the Bills suffered a 27-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, clinching
yet another losing season. Manuel would rebound to lead the Bills to a
27-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, while a smothering defense led the way
to a sweep of the Dolphins, allowing just 103 total yards in a 19-0 shutout win
in Orchard Park. While the Bills swept the Dolphins, they could not solve their
problems with the Patriots losing in Foxboro 34-20 to end the season at 6-10.
E.J. Maniel had solid season for a rookie, passing for 1,972 yards with 11 touchdowns
and nine interceptions in ten starts. However he was not the Bills top
rookie, as second round pick Kiko Alonso was led all rookies with 159 tackles.
Alonso also had two sacks and four interceptions, as he finished second in Defensive
Rookie of the Year voting.
2014: On March 25th, the Bills lost their patriarch when Ralph Wilson Jr. died at the age
95. Wilson was the last of the original AFL owners, who too great financial
risk to start up a rival league to the NFL. Wilson a World War II veteran was one
of just three owners who had secure financial footing when the league started
play in 1960 and often lent money to other teams to keep them in business in
the AFL's early years. In 1963, Ralph Wilson lobbied to have AFL games postponed
the Sunday after President John F. Kennedy's assassination; NFL games were played
as scheduled, under great criticism. After the merger Wilson remained one
of the league's most influential owners up until his death. After Wilson's
death, the Bills were quickly put for sale the family of Buffalo Sabres owner
and natural gas baron Terrence Pegula, ended up being the winning bidder for the
team. Among those also interested were Donald Trump, and a consortium led by
musician Jon Bon Jovi and the principals of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.
The Maple Leaf Sports bid raised concerns in Western New York of a move to Toronto.
The Bills coincidently had decided just before Ralph Wilson passed to cancel
their annual games at the Rogers Centre starting in 2014. The Bills would begin
the season in Chicago, with an overtime win over the Bears 23-20, as the Bills
defense forced three key turnovers. The Bills would make the home debut a
week later, just days after Terrance Pegula was introduced as the team's new owner
securing their future in Western New York. An emotional charged crowd
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, helped the Bills build a 9-0 lead at halftime on three
Field Goals by Dan Carpenter. After the Dolphins got on the board with a Caleb
Sturgis Field Goal to open the second half, the Bills got another big emotional
boost as C.J. Spiller returned the ensuing kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown.
The Bills would go on to win the game 29-10. However, a week later the Bills
would suffer a letdown, losing to the San Diego Chargers 22-10. The Bills would
also suffer a loss in Week 4 at the hands of the Houston Texans, during the 23-17
loss QB E.J. Manuel made several big mistakes including two interceptions,
one of which was returned 80 yards for a Touchdown by J.J. Watt. Following the
game Coach Doug Marone would bench Manuel in favor of Kyle Orton. At Ford Field
Orton passed for 308 yards as the Bills overcame a 14-0 halftime deficit to defeat
the Lions 17-14 with Dan Carpenter winning the game with a 58 yard Field Goal
with four seconds left. Following a 37-22 loss at home to the New England Patriots,
the Bills showed more late magic beating the Minnesota Vikings 17-16 as
Kyle Orton connected with Sammy Watkins on the winning score with one second
left on the clock capping an 80 yard drive. The game was not without some pain
as the Bills lost their two top rushers Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. Sparked
by three first quarter interceptions of Geno Smith, the Bills would go into the
bye week with a 5-3 record as they crushed the New York Jets 43-23 at the Meadowlands.
Following the bye, the Bills would suffer two devastating losses in four
days, giving up 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter in a home loss to
the Kansas City Chiefs which was followed up by a flat performance on Thursday
Night as the Bills lost to the Dolphins 22-9 in South Florida. Returning home
the Bills got back on track by again taking apart the Jets. The game despite being
a home game for the Bills was played on a Monday Night in Detroit, as roads
in Western New York were unpassable due to record breaking snow that buried Orchard
Park in 71 inches of snow. Once again defense was a big part of the story
as they limited the Jets to one Field Goal, and scored off a blocked punt to win
the game 38-3. Defense was key in most wins for the Bills, as they stayed in
the playoff hunt with a 26-10 win over the Cleveland Browns. After being shutout
in the first half the Bills took control of the game with two touchdowns in
ten seconds, with Jerry Hughes striping Terrance West and returning the ball 18
yards for a touchdown. Following a 24-17 loss to the Denver Broncos on the road,
the Bills got perhaps their most impressive win of the season as they beat the
Green Bay Packers at home 21-13. In the game the Bills held the Packers top
ranked passing offense to 175 yards, picking off NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers twice. Highlight
the Bills scoring was a 75 yard punt return from Marcus Thigpen. With
a record of 8-6 the Bills had a chance to end their long playoff drought if they
could win their last two games. However, in Oakland against the lowly Raiders
they suffered another letdown, losing 26-24 as Kyle Orton had two back breaking
interceptions. The Bills would finish the season with a 17-9 win over the New
England Patriots who were resting their starters for the playoffs. The win was
the Bills first at Gillette Stadium and the first in Foxboro since 2000. The win
enabled the Bills to finish 9-7 for their first winning season in a decade,
but it marked 15th straight season the Bills would miss the playoffs. Following
the season in a power play with ownership Coach Doug Marone would resign exercising
an option in his contract to become a coaching free agent and get a new contract.
The Bills would eventually replace Marone with Jets head coach Rex Ryan.
2015: After the sudden and unexpected resignation of Doug Marrone, the Buffalo Bills
looked within the AFC East for their next coach, hiring Rex Ryan who had been
fired by the New York Jets. The Bills started the season on a good note, beating
the Indianapolis Colts 27-14 as their defense harassed Andrew Luck all day,
forcing two interceptions, while Tyrod Taylor connected with Percy Harvin on
a 51-yard touchdown in the first quarter to set the tone early. A week later Taylor
was picked off three times as the Bills once again lost to the New England
Patriots 40-32, with Tom Brady throwing for 466 yards and three scores. The Bills
would bounce back in Week 3 with a dominant effort in South Florida, crushing
the Miami Dolphins 41-14 using several big plays along the way. Returning home
the Bills were their own worst enemy in Week 4, as they committed 17 penalties
for 135 yards. Five penalties 15-yard personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct,
while two others negated touchdowns as the Bills suffered a 24-10 loss to
the New York Giants. Trailing 10-0 in the third quarter in Week 5, the Bills rallied
to beat the Tennessee Titans 14-13. The big play came when Tyrod Taylor facing
3rd-and-23 ran 24 yards for a first down sparking an 80-yard drive that gave
Buffalo the lead. A lead that was sealed when Stephon Gillmore picked off Marcus
Mariota with 1:32 left. Unfortunately Taylor would end the game in the trainer's
room with a sprained knee that put him out of action the next two games.
Following a 34-21 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Bills flew to London
for a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bills put themselves in a deep
hole early as the Jaguars scored 27 points in the second quarter, scoring twice
on defense. The Bills would claw their way back in the game and took the lead
on a 44-yard interception return from Corey Graham. However, the Jaguars answered
with a score of their own to win the game 34-31. Tyrod Taylor returned following
the bye week and the led the Bills to a 33-17 win over the Dolphins at
Ralph Wilson Stadium as Karlos Williams and LaSean McCoy each rushed for over
100 yards and combined for three touchdowns. Four days later in the NFL's first
color rush game on Thursday Night Football the Bills clad in all red took on Rex
Ryan's old team the New York Jets at the Meadowlands. The Bills defense shut
down the Jets most of the game, building a 22-3 in the third quarter as Duke Williams
scooped a fumble up and returned it for a touchdown. The Jets though would
score twice to get back in the game and got the ball deep into Buffalo territory
after a botched punt. However, Bacarri Rambo saved the day with an interception
in the endzone with 18 seconds left allowing the Bills to hold on to a 22-17
win. On Monday Night the following week, the Bills would play well but came
up short, losing to the Patriots 20-13 at Foxboro. The Bills continued to bob
up and down the .500 mark losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 30-22 in Week 12 before
defeating the Houston Texans at home 30-21. In the win, Tyrod Taylor had a
big game passing for 211 yards with three touchdowns. That would be the story
all season for the Bills who never could find any consistency. Following back to
back losses on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles (23-20) and Washington
Redskins (35-25), the Bills closed the season with two straight home wins beating
the Dallas Cowboys 16-6 and the Jets 22-17 to finish at 8-8. The win against
the Jets had to be particular satisfying as it knocked Rex Ryan's old team out
of the playoffs as the Bills picked off Ryan Fitzpatrick three times.